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Among the Shias
of South Asia the Ithna-Asharis
are in the majority while the Khojas
and Bohras
of Western and Central South Asia
belong to the two internal divisions
of the Isma`ili
group of Muslims - the Nizaris (Khojas)
with Satpanth Ismailism and the the
Musta‘lis (Bohras or Bohri) with Tayyibi
Ismailism.
The Khojas are headed by the Agha Khan,
who has followers in Pakistan, India,
Iran, Tajikistan, Yemen, Syria and
East Africa. The present Aga Khan,
Prince Karim, is the 49th direct descendant
in a male line down from Hadrat Ali.
His great-grandfather, Hasan Ali Shah,
was given the title of Aga Khan by
the Sultan of Persia (Iran). The Ismaili
followers of the Aga Khan professedly
believe that the Qur'an was time bound
and was not meant to be a Universal
message for all times. The Aga Khan
has officially declared himself, before
his followers, as the "Mazhar
of God on earth". The word "mazhar"
means "copy" or "manifest".
The followers of the Agha Khan maintain
God made the Caliphate hereditary
office and not an office "by
election" or "nomination".
They note that God promised Hadrat
Ibrahim (Abraham) that his progeny
would rule the nations, and the Prophet
Mohammad was descended from Prophet
Ibrahim's elder son Ismail's line.
The Quran outlined the inheritance
laws in detail and the legacy passes
to the children, related by blood,
and not outsiders. Hadrat Ali a.s.
was Prophet Mohammad's cousin, Abdul
Muttalib was the shared Grandfather
to both Prophet Mohammad and Hadrat
Ali, and moreover, Prophet Mohammad
gave his daughter Hadrat Fatima, to
his favorite and chosen, Hadrat Ali
in marriage. Their children, Hadrat
Hassan and Hadrat Hussein carried
the pure blood of Prophet Mohammad
in their veins. The present Living
Imam, Imam e Zaman, Prince of Peace
for Islam, Mowlana Shah Karim Aga
Khan , is the 49th in the direct line.
The Khojas are concentrated in Pakistan,
Tajikistan, and Gujarat. Khojas were
originally converted by Pir Sadruddin
(Pir Sadr Al-Dine) in Sindh
in the later 14th Century (CE). From
Sindh, the conversion spread into
Kutch, then into Kathiawar and through
Gujarat to Mumbai. Pir Sadr Al-Dine
is credited with the conversion of
the Khojas. He laid the foundation
of the communal organization, built
the first assembly and prayer halls
(Jamaat Khanahs) and appointed the
community leaders (Mukhis). Khojas
live chiefly in lower Sindh, Kutch,
Gujarat, Mumbai and in wide diaspora,
particularly in East and South Africa,
Arabia, Sri Lanka and Myanmar (Burma).
The Khojas appeared in Eastern Turkestan
in the 16th century as leaders of
two sects of Nakshbandiye Sufi order
- the White mountaineers and the Black
mountaineers. The Khojas soon assumed
informal temporal power. Any political
decision in the Mongol Khanate of
the 17th century could not be accepted
without approval of the Khojas. China
seized Eastern Turkestan in 1759.
Zanzibar attracted South Asians from
Kutch and Kathiawar, and Khojas emigrated
in hundreds by dhows in the 19th century.
Satpanth, really Sat Panth, i.e. the
"True Path (to Salvation)",
is the name of a sect of Islam, forming
a kind of transition from ordinary
Islamic doctrine of the Shi
'ite type. The majority of the
Khoja community gives preponderance
to Islamic elements, while in the
Imam Shahi
branches certain groups may pursue
just the opposite course of drifting
back to paganism.
The Nizari sect began when Hasan Ibn
al-Sabbah refused to recognize al-Musta'li
as the new caliph in 1094. He support
al-Musta'li's brother Nizar, who soon
disappeared under obscure circumstances
in 1095. Musta'liyah Isma'ilis were
centered in Cairo while the Nizaris,
consolidated their positions in Iran
and Syria. Hasan-i Sabbah established
his mountains stronghold at Alamut,
intending to to destroy the Abbasid
Caliphate by murdering its most powerful
members. The group followed in the
steps of the Kharijis,
elaborating an ideology directed against
Muslim rulers that they regarded as
impious usurpers. The Nizaris (Misaris)
gained prominence during the Crusades
when a society of Misaris, called
Assassins, harassed both the Crusaders
and Sultan Salah-ad-Din al Ayubi (
Saladin) at the time of the crusades
of the eleventh century. They became
famous in the 12th Century for their
seizing of Crusader forts and assassinating
Christian leaders. The sect was thought
to be active possibly continued through
the 14th century as a group of bandits
on the Afghanistan Silk Road.
Accoring to one account, the Hashshashin
(Assassins) received their name from
their use of hashish. Other writers
suggest that assassin simply means
'followers of Al-Hassan' (or Hasan-i
Sabbah, the Sheikh of Alamut, known
as "The Old Man of the Mountain").
Their own name for the sect was ad-dawa
al-jadida which means "the new
doctrine" and they called themselves
fedayeen from the Arabic fida'i which
means "one who is ready to sacrifice
his life for the cause."
Page last updated:
Friday, November 25, 2005 22:04:51 -0500 |
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